CeltFest Cuba was held this April in Havana and Jamie and I were in attendance as musicians and visitors to the beautiful city. We were lucky to be included in the opening ceremony where Jamie kicked off the festival with some tunes on the Highland Pipes. Other events included teaching a Highland Pipes workshop to the Galician and Asturian pipers, a poolside BBQ at the Canadian Embassy, a graveside memorial for Newfoundland-born Mary McCarthy Gomez Cueto, and Eduardo Lorenzo, ‘The Last Piper of Havana‘, a pipe parade, and a great concert at the Galician Society. There were sessions every evening at Cafe O’Reilly, and one session at Hemingway’s favourite watering hole, Dos Hermanos. We heard great tunes throughout the festival and managed to make a lot of new piper friends, despite the language barrier…as long as there’s music, there’s always an understanding. We spent a fair deal of time talking and comparing stories (many times through a translator) with the Galician and Asturian pipers….trading secrets and tricks. CeltFest Cuba will be happening again next year! Check out their website to see the list of performers from this year, and stay tuned to see who will be in attendance for 2011!